As you can see, Ford’s efforts to keep the GT lightweight can be largely attributed to an ultralow parts count. In fact, the 2017 GT is made up of just 30 individual parts. Much like in a Formula 1 car, the GT’s twin-turbocharged V-6 is a stressed member, meaning it is integral with the chassis for added stiffness. Curiously, the engine is also the very same color as the rest of the chassis. Our preproduction GT lacked the production model’s carbon-fiber tub, instead using a sort of injection-molded plastic unit supporting solid front and rear axles. Again, the car’s final specs will differ when it goes on sale later this year, but the fixed seats, dual exhaust outlets exiting from the middle of the bumper, and neat flying buttresses connecting the roof to the rear fenders are production-correct.

Assembly, which ultimately will be handled by a race shop in Canada, was a snap. In fact, we completed our test model in just 10 minutes. Old Henry Ford would be proud. Most of the GT’s pieces press to fit, and changing the wheels or popping out the door mirrors and flipping them inward for secure parking is a breeze. The GT’s Corvette-like plastic body is rendered as a single piece—which includes both doors, the engine-compartment cover, and even the front spoiler and rear diffuser—and hopefully it carries over to production, because it clearly offers superior assembly efficiencies.

We even managed to squeeze in a brief drive of the GT. For something with roughly 650 horsepower, it seems to move at the speed of a human arm, while the handling is somewhat compromised by the fixed front wheels. We never felt the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission shift, and the exhaust note sounded like rubber rolling across a tablecloth; perhaps the calibration on both is still being worked out ahead of dealer deliveries. Other quibbles include an interior so cramped it could barely fit a human finger, a total lack of Bluetooth or a touchscreen, and the adjustable rear spoiler that was jammed in its lowest position. It’s an auspicious start for one of the year’s most hotly anticipated new cars, but we’ll reserve final judgment for when we drive the Ford-built version.